Question

What is called the graveyard of RBCs?
A. Spleen
B. Kidney
C. Blood
D. Brain

Answer 1

Due to continuous work done by the red blood cells for the transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide throughout the body they get worn out within 120 days and die. They are dead and buried in one of our body’s organs.

Complete answer:
Red blood cells consist of haemoglobin which binds with oxygen and carbon dioxide one at a time and transports them to different parts of our body. This transport never ceases due to which red blood cells die every 120 days and new blood cells keep on forming. Spleen is the organ which is the graveyard of blood cells as it basically filters them and traps the degraded RBCs which are further destroyed/phagocytized by macrophages.
-Spleen is one of the largest organs in the lymphatic system which keeps the body fluids in balance and filters old and damaged blood cells with the help of red pulp tissue.
-Kidneys on the other hand are the organs which remove waste and toxins from the human body, maintain salt and pH balance, potassium content and produce hormones for the production of red blood cells, for the control of calcium content and blood pressure.
-Blood is the transport medium of our body which acts as the transporter of oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, hormones and wastes. It regulates the water content of the cells and the oxygen content of the organs. It consists of white blood cells which provide us immunity.
-Brain is the centre of control and coordination of our body. It controls our thoughts, memories, and skills, movement of our body and also controls the proper and coordinated function of all the organs in our body.

Hence, the correct answer is option (A).

Additional information:
-Spleen also filters foreign bodies in the blood which might be infectious.
-It continuously keeps on secreting white blood cells.
-B cells and T cells are produced and mature in spleen
-It also stores platelets.
-Spleen is divided into two parts - red pulp and white pulp. Red pulp filters blood and has phagocytic activity, white pulp stores white blood cells.

Note: When the spleen is removed due to some disease or injury by the process of splenectomy then the work of spleen (filtration and destruction of red blood cells, WBC production) is taken up by liver and bone marrow but as the individual becomes 10 times more susceptible to infection.